The present invention refers to a pile of a plurality of panels comprising at least one web of a hygiene- or wiping material such as a paper web, preferably a tissue paper web or a nonwoven web, having a web width and a web length. The web is divided in its length direction in closely adjacent or partly overlapping separate or partly interconnected sheets, which in the longitudinal direction of the web extend between transverse separations or perforations. The web as well as the sheets are folded in accordion-like manner about transverse folding lines forming panel edges, so that panels are formed and piled on top of each other. The staple has a panel width constituting the distance between the folding lines and a panel length, which is the same as the web width.
Towels, napkins and similar products for personal use and household use are used for many different purposes in industry for cleaning and machine wiping, in washing stations, in toilets in offices and public premises. The products are made from a web of a hygiene- or wiping material, said web having a width and a length and the web is in length direction divided into sheets, i.e. separate products. Each separate product or sheet has a web length, which is folded in accordion-type style so that panels are formed between adjacent folds. The distance between two adjacent folds in longitudinal direction constitutes the panel width. The panel length is the same as the panel width of the product. The products that are folded in panels are then often stored as more or less separate products placed as a sheaf and thus form a pile of panels. The web length for a single product traditionally corresponds to integer multiples of the web width, usually three or four panel widths. Different products can consist of a number of different qualities and constitute different hygiene- or wiping material, such as paper and tissue. Synthetic materials, natural materials and nonwoven and mixtures thereof may of course be used. The products may have different uses and can among other things be used for hygiene, wiping, adsorption, absorption, cleaning and polishing. Among some of the products that can be mentioned are paper towels, towels, different types of cloths, facial tissue, cosmetic tissue, napkins, kitchen towels, toilet paper, washing cloths etc.
Such a pile of paper products is normally stored in a dispenser especially adapted for this purpose, for example a dispenser for consumer use. These dispensers are often found in toilets, offices, hospitals, restaurants, clinics, public buildings, in shops, workshops, garages, in working places, in public or semipublic premises etc., where the products are available for employees, the public, customers and clients. They may for example be placed on the wall, posts or the like. They are often free of charge for the user of the products and these types of products are often frequently and not especially sparingly used. Studies about how the products may be used more effectively than today in order to reach saving goals that have been set up concerning both environment and economy are therefore interesting, see for WO 98/47419. WO 98/47419 discloses different results concerning efficiency at hand wiping especially with respect to total area and basis weight. Further studies of how the products are experienced by the end user together with a plurality of quality demands can also be considered when designing the different products. Thus it is important to be able to optimize the size, shape and basis weight of the products in order to reduce the consumption at every occasion of use both from economical and for environmental reasons. Besides other parameters, size, shape, appearance and bass weight play an important role for offering a good product quality well adapted for the purpose and for making the products to be well experienced by the consumer.
One problem is that the size of the dispensers limit the size, shape and look of the products. The basis weight is indirectly limited as it normally is dependant on the size and shape of the product. A dispenser normally seen has a length, a width and a height. In this case the length of the dispenser corresponds to the maximum panel length, which is equal to the web width of the product, the width and height of the dispenser correspond to the possible panel width and possible height of the pile respectively. One problem with the conventional dispensers are that they of they are adapted to a special product with a certain design and shape. Every product has a limited number of possible lengths, which in turn are dependant on the panel width. The selection of dispensers is often limited and normally seen they are only found in a few fixed sizes, which thus limits the size and design of the products. Finally the choice of the products that can be placed in the dispenser is limited. It is difficult to change product assortment and to change the shape and size of the products with today""s dispensers and the products belonging thereto and the method used for making these products.
Starting form the available dispensers one thus has different fixed dispenser widths corresponding to a certain number of panel widths. With a length of the products consisting of integers of the panel width, which usually is for example 3 or 4 panel widths, certain fixed products lengths with a relatively large gap there between are obtained. One of the problems is that there is an undesired large gap between the different fixed product lengths, which makes it necessary to replace the already existing dispensers when a more varying assortment of products are required or desired. There is of course a plurality of different parameters to consider, such as for example efficiency aspects, optimizations, degree of utilization, quality, function of the product, shape, design, stiffness of the web, basis weight etc. Further aspects and parameters that have to be considered will be evident below.
It is important to be able to change assortment, design, shape and function of the products in a relatively simple way in order to be able to keep up with technical development and fulfill efficiency, cost and environmental goals and to meet the increasing demands that exist concerning flexibility and renewal for different consumer groups. In order to make this possible today new dispensers are thud needed. A change of product assortment today thus not only involves a change of products but also a considerably more expensive and extensive change of dispensers.
One of the problems today is that one does not want to change the existing well functioning dispensers that already exist at the user site. Besides one wants to be able to continue using the dispensers that may exist in storages etc. A change of dispensers when changing products assortment is not desirable and involves both a more complicated and expensive handling, which in turn results in that new products are not launched on the market.
The object of the present invention is to remedy the above-mentioned problems and to provide a method for a more flexible system with increased possibilities to vary the product assortment and at the same time be able to keep the existing dispensers. The invention also aims at providing hygiene and wiping products that can be designed in a both economical and environmentally friendly way and so that qualities and appearance of the products can be chosen irrespective of the available dispensers and the panel sizes that are required. The need for new dispensers can thus be reduced when a new product assortment is produced in order to create improvements, optimizations, efficiency, cost savings, higher degree of utilization, better qualities, higher user benefit and satisfaction as well as variety and renewal.
This is according to the invention solved by the fact that the pile comprises a plurality of panels consisting of at least one web of hygiene or wiping material. The web has a web width and a web length and is in length direction divided in closely adjacent or partly overlapping separate or partly connected sheets/products which in the length direction of the web extend between transverse separations or perforations. The web as well as the sheets are folded in accordion like manner about transverse folding lines forming panel edges, so that panels are formed and piled on top of each other. The staple has a panel width constituting the distance between the folding lines and a panel length which is the same as the web width, wherein the plurality of sheets in a pile have a length which is not divisible with the panel width and thus is not an integer of the panel width. The term xe2x80x9cthe plurality of sheets in a pilexe2x80x9d refers to at least the half number of the sheets and preferably all sheets possibly except for the first or two first and the last or the two last sheets in a pile, which sometimes may have another length than the rest of the sheets.
A great advantage is that in this way it is possible to use different folding for the same length of hygiene and wiping products, i.e. the length of the sheets. Besides the same folding may be used for a plurality of different sheet lengths.
The invention further meets desires concerning either a separate web with separately, closely adjacent located or partly overlapping sheets, or partly interconnected sheets, or the invention refers to at least two interfolded webs, wherein each web is divided in separately, closely adjacent located or partly overlapping sheets, or partly interconnected sheets. In the latter casexe2x80x94at least two interfolded websxe2x80x94the sheets of the respective web are overlapping each other. The separations or perforations between two sheets of one web is by that displaced in relation to the separation or perforation between two sheets of the adjacent web.
The invention aims at creating flexibility an enabling having hygiene and wiping materials of an optional web length. The length of the product/sheet can according to the invention be varied in a stepless manner and is thus independent of the panel width. The length of the sheets can also be chosen so that the sheets will have a substantially square shape. This is especially advantageous since it has been established that a substantial square shape is a very effective shape. This shape has previously with existing methods and dispensers with products placed in piles and with respect to other parameters such as for example basis weight, panel width and panel length been a shape that has been difficult to obtain.
Thus one object of the invention is to make it possible to freely place the position of the sheets over the panel width in the pile. By this at least one perforation or separation between two sheets can be placed at and/or between the edges of the panels.
According to the traditional manner the separations or perforations are placed at the edges of the panels. The thickness of the products is less at the separations of perforations, which means that the pile will not have the shape of a straight block but is curved downwards at the edges so that an oblique and, as seen from the outside, xe2x80x9cegg-shapedxe2x80x9d pile is obtained. In order to have an even, horizontal, straight-shaped and easy to handle pile of wiping products the separations or perforations are arranged so that they will be evenly distributed over the panel width in the pile. Distributing the separations or perforations over the panel width can have several advantages.